Samuel Barber News

'I'm not a warhorse kind of singer,' mezzo Susan Graham states matter-of-factly. 'A. I'm a mezzo. B. I'm not a character mezzo. C. I'm not a contralto. The iconic opera repertoire for mezzos, Amneris (AIDA), Azucena (IL TROVATORE), even Eboli (DON CARLO)--those kinds of roles aren't my stock and trade because my voice sits high and has a different timbre.' Well, what then is her milieu? It's the likes of Handel, who composed several of the arias she has been singing this winter at the Met, as one of the stars of THE ENCHANTED ISLAND, a kind of Baroque 'jukebox opera.' But it's also Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING & I, which she is doing this June at the Chatelet in Paris.

The UW World Series brings Seattle audiences some of the most exciting artists and companies from around the globe. The tradition continues into the 2014-15 season with a stellar line-up of living masters and emerging talents curated by Artistic Director Michelle Witt in her third year of programming the Series. 23 artists and companies from over 21 countries will be represented, including Israel, Mali, Ukraine, Great Britain, Spain, France, Canada, Russia, Hungary, the USA, and the eleven countries that make up the Nile basin.

The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will perform Mozart's OVERTURE TO THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Barber's VIOLIN CONCERTO featuring Max Tan on violin, and Mahler's SYMPHONY NO. 5, tonight, March 7, 2014 at 8 p.m. in Symphony Hall.

New York City has lots of big attractions that people around the world are well aware of. But New York City also has smaller gems that don't get the same attention but still shine just as brightly. The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony is one such gem. Last Sunday afternoon, this superb ensemble led ably by Maestro David Bernard delivered an impressive performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, which many, more well-known and well-funded, orchestras would be jealous of. Maestro Bernard, who worked without benefit of a score, brought a brilliant and bright quality to the first Allegro movement. The Larghetto that followed was mannered and precisely shaped. The Scherzo, usually performed as a light and merry dance, felt a bit wayward, as the playing got a bit loose. But a strong, majestic and fiery Finale brought the first half to a satisfying conclusion. The Second Symphony was composed during the summer and fall of 1802 and it signaled the end of Beethoven's 'early period.' For the composer, this was a time of great despair because he was finally realizing that his deafness could not be cured and would indeed be a permanent affliction. That despair is deeply engrained in the work, and the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony dug deep and tapped into that despair and communicated it amiably to the audience.

The winners of the 43rd annual George London Foundation Awards Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers were announced at the conclusion of the competition's final round this evening, which took place in a front of a capacity audience at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony led by music director David Bernard will be performing a stimulating and provocative program of works by Beethoven, Barber and Bartok featuring American Soprano Tamra Paselk at All Saints Church in New York City tonight, February 22nd at 8PM and Sunday February 23rd at 3PM.

The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will perform Mozart's OVERTURE TO THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Barber's VIOLIN CONCERTO featuring Max Tan on violin, and Mahler's SYMPHONY NO. 5, on Friday, March 7, 2014 at 8 p.m. in Symphony Hall.

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony led by music director David Bernard will be performing a stimulating and provocative program of works by Beethoven, Barber and Bartok featuring American Soprano Tamra Paselk at All Saints Church in New York City on Saturday February 22nd at 8PM and Sunday February 23rd at 3PM.

The Howard County Arts Council, in its 33rd year of service to the public of Howard County, presents the 17th Annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, Howard Community College (HCC), Columbia, MD. Dr. Kathleen Hetherington, President of HCC, will serve as Honorary Chair. Richard W. Story, Senior Vice President for Marketing, JPB Enterprises, Inc. will emcee the event. The Celebration is a multi-faceted signature event, showcasing and promoting the arts and raising funds in support of the arts, artists, and arts organizations in Howard County. One of the highlights of the 2014 Celebration is the Rising Star Emerging Performing Artist Award Competition, in which ten finalists will compete for a cash prize of $5,000. In December, individual performing artists - aged 18 to 35 years and currently or recently living, working, performing regularly, or receiving training in Howard County - auditioned before a panel of professionals in their discipline. Review criteria included artistic merit, demonstrated experience in the arts, and commitment to a career in the arts.

Rising young soprano Nadine Sierra, will take the stage at the Michael Schimmel Center For the Arts on Sunday, February 9 at 3pm as part of Pace's concert series VOCE AT PACE: RISING OPERA STARS. Rising Opera Stars in Recital is supported by the Richard Tucker Music Foundation in honor of Dr. Agnes Varis. It is curated by Matthew Epstein.

'This broadcast and webcast event was the perfect way to spread the word about Andres' Inaugural Season to an even broader audience and build upon the momentum generated from our Centennial Season,' said Houston Symphony Executive Director and CEO Mark C. Hanson. 'It symbolizes our commitment to innovation, community partnerships, and becoming more relevant to even more Houstonians. We're grateful to Houston Public Media for collaborating on this important and exciting announcement.'

For the third straight season, the brilliant and imaginative conductor Ivan Fischer will lead Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) at Carnegie Hall. Having sold out his past two concerts with OSL, Fischer returns tonight, November 21 at 8:00 PM with a program of works by Schumann, Mozart, Bartok, and Weiner.

For the third straight season, the brilliant and imaginative conductor Ivan Fischer will lead Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) at Carnegie Hall. Having sold out his past two concerts with OSL, Fischer returns November 21 at 8:00 PM with a program of works by Schumann, Mozart, Bartok, and Weiner.

The Classical Recording Foundation (CRF) is pleased to announce the 2013 winners of its twelfth annual Classical Recording Foundation Awards. Four prizes will be presented at the Foundation's Annual Awards Concert and Benefit at 7:30pm on Monday, November 25, 2013 at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. The event will feature CRF Young Artist of the Year pianist Roman Rabinovich performing selections from his CD Ballets Russes (Orchid; March 2013), pianist Laura Leon performing works by CRF Composer of the Year Peter Schickele's album The Music of Peter Schickele, Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artists Award winners Hsin-Yun Huang and Sarah Rothenberg in selections from their recording Viola Viola (Bridge; November 2012); andClassical Recording Foundation Award winner, cellist Sophie Shao, performing selections from her upcoming double-CD set of J.S. Bach's Cello Suites. The proceeds from the 2013 Classical Recording Foundation Award Ceremony and Benefit will go toward the 2014 Awards.

NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG, Steven Blier, Artistic Director • Michael Barrett, Associate Artistic Director, opens its 2013-14 Mainstage series at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center with 'NED IS NINETY', a musical 90th birthday for American icon (and guest of honor) Ned Rorem.

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera continues its commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial by presenting a Barnett & Company Masterworks concert featuring American composers and capped off with Copland's Lincoln Portrait, narrated by City of Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.

NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG, Steven Blier, Artistic Director • Michael Barrett, Associate Artistic Director, opens its 2013-14 Mainstage series at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center with 'NED IS NINETY', a musical 90th birthday for American icon (and guest of honor) Ned Rorem.

The Kansas City Chorale has announced their 32nd season of concerts for 2013-2014, conducted by Charles Bruffy. For more information, visit: http://www.kcchorale.org/

Richmond Ballet is set to kick off its 30th Anniversary Season with the first installment of this year's Studio Series, Studio One, tonight, October 1-6, 2013, at the Richmond Ballet Studio Theatre with a new ballet from Philip Neal, and a popular favorite, Val Caniparoli's Bow Out.

Houston Chamber Choir presents Requiem for a President, Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 7:30 pm at the historic Christ Church Cathedral(1117 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002). The evening offers a poignant 50th anniversary observance of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The concert takes place less than two blocks away from where President Kennedy attended an event at the Rice Hotel on November 21, 1963, the night before his trip to Dallas. The concert features Maurice Durufle's Requiem for choir and organ, A Curse Upon Iron by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis. and Samuel Barber's renowned Adagio for Strings, arranged for voices.